Summer School "Opening the Landscape-Methods in Landscape Archaeology"

The Berlin Graduate School of Ancient Studies (BerGSAS) is pleased to announce a Summer School in Landscape Archaeology, organized by the doctoral program Landscape Archaeology and Architecture (LAA). The Summer School will take place from August 29th to September 3rd 2016 at Freie Universität Berlin. It is targeted at young researchers, especially doctoral students from different disciplines working on landscape archaeological issues. The event aims to provide an overview of the broad spectrum of methods as well as a theoretical background of the concepts, theories and perspectives applied in landscape archaeology. During the workshop the participants should gain insight into the practical side of landscape archaeology and other relevant aspects, with a special focus on its interdisciplinary character.

The program of the Summer School consists of several lectures providing a theoretical introduction to various concepts and methods in landscape archeology, supplemented by practical examples for their application. After the methods have been introduced, they will be discussed and assessed. Furthermore, each participant will present a poster of his or her project.

Since the spectrum of methods is so widely spread, it is not possible to do practical ‘hands on’ sessions for all of the techniques. The concept is to rather give a concise overview of methods, the nature of data they produce, as well as the possibilities and limitations in their application. This raises awareness of techniques that might be interesting for your research and can provide you with basic knowledge to start incorporating new kinds of data into your work.

Additionally, the program offers a visit to a Neolithic excavation site near Quedlinburg (Saxony- Anhalt) and to the German Archaeological Institute and its laboratories in Berlin, as well as a guided tour through the exhibition of the Neues Museum Berlin.

The Landscape Archaeology Summer School gives postgraduate students the opportunity to network, showcase some of their original work, learn through participant-oriented discussions as well as attend workshops and lectures by experts in the field – both established scientists and young researchers, who bring their expertise and advanced skills to one of the methods discussed. It is expected that each participant will present a poster of his or her project.